By Lily Berger

“Selfless.” I recently asked AC Hall (‘24) how she would describe her friend and teammate Callie Rogers (’24), and this word repetitively bounced around our conversation. In playing team sports, selflessness is a key trait that coaches, especially at the Division I level, look for. As girls varsity field hockey co-captain, Rogers is an elite athlete who recognizes that a team sport cannot be won on one’s own; she knows when fellow captain Heidi Albrecht (‘24) asks for the ball, it is something she can trust. Rogers often emphasizes the importance of playing “together,” rather than just 1-on-1, an attitude that can impede a team’s success. 

Rogers’ impact is felt everywhere she goes, whether in the team group chat rallying the troops or on the field, where she can quickly mesmerize the defender with her stick skills and get around the multiple opponents in her way. She often uses these elite stick skills within the circle to draw a foul, giving the team a high percentage chance to score from a corner play. 

Rogers knows that without the support from those around her, she never would have made it this far. She greatly appreciates the guidance she has received, including in her decision to commit to play field hockey at the University of Maryland. She shared that her eldest sister, Cameron Rogers, who played field hockey at Georgetown University, was a “great role model” to have, since “she has been through it all” in the past few years, serving as the ultimate resource. When discussing her NLI signing day, she mentioned the excitement about seeing both of her sisters have that special day also, and she’s glad “to be where they were” not too long ago. 

Taking on an opponent at the international level. Photo courtesy Callie Rogers.

Rogers is quite an accomplished field hockey player, which is not surprising to anyone watching her play. Rogers has made the All-LIS and the All-State teams each year since 8th Grade, with a hiccup in 2020 due to COVID-19 replacing her Freshman season. She has been leveling up each year when it comes to Metro rankings, starting on the second team in 8th Grade, advancing to the first team her Sophomore season, and in her Junior season she was voted All-Metro Player of the Year. It will be interesting to see where she lands for her Senior season in the Metro rankings, after helping the team nab another LIS championship. Rogers certainly isn’t afraid of winning and leading the charge to do so, with two LIS championships and a state championship, propelling her to be on the All-American first team and adding the MAX Field Hockey Virginia Player of the Year to her long list of accolades in her Junior year. Although Rogers is highly accomplished, Hall admitted that Rogers “doesn’t flaunt it” and keeps her focus on winning games. 

The U18 Women’s National team at Pinoké Stadium in the Netherlands. Photo courtesy Callie Rogers.

At the national level, Rogers is a common sight to see on the US National teams. Back in 2020, as a 14-year-old, Rogers made the U16 National Team. In 2022, the team competed in Vancouver, Canada, an exciting experience for the young athlete, who was a captain by then. In the interim, in 2021, Rogers was playing on the Indoor Junior National team all along the East Coast. Earlier this year, Rogers made the U18 Women’s National Team and frolicked all over Europe while playing against tough competition at the highest level. 

One of Rogers’ favorite parts of her European trip was seeing two top teams face off in a club final at Pinoké Stadium, in the Netherlands, seeing the stands filled with people supporting the teams, a rare sight in US field hockey. She loved seeing such support for a sports that she holds such a deep passion for.